Water Quality Advisory Committee Meeting Lisa Benton LCRA ... · Water Quality Advisory Committee...

Water Quality Advisory Committee Meeting

Lisa Benton

LCRA Water Quality Coordinator

April 21, 2016

• Filter feeders – can

filter up to 8 gallons

of water per day

• Valuable source of

food for wildlife

• Stabilize bottom

sediments

• Biodiversity

Role in Aquatic Ecosystem

2

Life History

3

Native mussels have elaborate mechanisms to attract host fish,

as demonstrated by the lure of this Lampsilis sp.

Glochidia

5

Freshwater Mussel Threats

• About 70 percent of the roughly 300 species

of North American freshwater mussels are

extinct or threatened with extinction.

• Major threats include:

– Loss of flowing water

– Siltation

– Degradation of water quality

Freshwater Mussel Protection

• Four Colorado River

species were listed as state-

threatened in 2010, federal

candidates in 2011:

– Texas fatmucket

– Texas fawnsfoot

– Texas pimpleback

– Smooth pimpleback

• One additional proposed

species:

– False spike

Timeline for Listing Decision

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

has stated the listing decision process for

Central Texas mussels will begin no

sooner than fall 2017

• Currently, Texas Hornshell (West Texas

and New Mexico range) is being evaluated

Texas Comptroller Involvement

• Interagency Task Force on Economic Growth and Endangered Species– Purpose: Give state agencies a mechanism to provide

information and assistance to local and regional governments and their communities to comply with the Endangered Species Act as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.

• Freshwater Mussels Work Group

• keepingtexasfirst.org/task_force/

Texas Fatmucket

Texas Fatmucket

Range

Texas Fawnsfoot

Texas Fawnsfoot

Range

Texas Pimpleback

Texas Pimpleback

Range

Smooth Pimpleback

Smooth Pimpleback

Range

False Spike

False Spike

Past and Ongoing Monitoring

• Qualitative informal sampling

• Aquatic resource relocations

• Partnerships with USFWS and Texas State graduate students to collect data in the lower Colorado River basin

Future Survey Plans

• Location: Colorado River from Longhorn Dam to Bay City Dam (264 river miles)

• Methods: Qualitative and quantitative sampling within meso-habitats of pre-determined segments

• Timeline: Work could begin as early as the summer of this year

– 2-3 years are needed for completion

Persistent Mussel Habitat

San Antonio River – Calaveras Site

Low Flow

Persistent Mussel Habitat

San Antonio River – Calaveras Site

High Flow

Persistent Mussel Habitat

San Antonio River – Calaveras Site

Across All Flows

Questions?

25

lisa.benton@lcra.org

512-578-2151

Extra slides

USFWS Species Status

Assessment Process

• “3R’s”: Resiliency,

redundancy and

representation

• Uses “best available

science” to make

listing decision

Texas Hornshell Population Ecology

28